101 



uring- v/hicli period it has effected a wonderful amount of good, would 

 ccupy more space than could be given in the columns of a newspaper. Nor 

 is it necessary in this instance except as relates to the Horse Show. We 

 may state, however, that Arthur Young- in his " Tour in Ireland," published 

 in 1780, says : — " Great lionour is due to Ireland for having given birth to 

 the Dublin Society, which has the undisinited merit of being the father of 

 all the similar societies now existing in Europe." Towards the end of 1867 

 or early in 1868 the project of holding a horse show on an extensive scale 

 was mooted, for long before was seen that horse-breeding was one of the 

 great industries and resources of the country, and the upshot of the move- 

 ment was that a committee of the Royal Agricultural Society, which had 

 been formed for the purpose of holding a " National Horse Show," obtained 

 permission from the Royal Dublin Society to hold the Show on the premises 

 of the latter in Kiklare-street, and there and then the Royal Dublin Society 

 undertook an annual horse exhibition, and appointed a committee consisting 

 of twenty-five members to carry out the project. Without money nothing 

 can be done. Money was the obstacle in this case. It was forthcoming in 

 the shape of a public subscription, which appeal met with a liberal response. 

 In addition the Council voted £100 to the fund. The first Show was held 

 in Kildare-street on July 28, 29, and 30, 1868, when the entries numbered 

 368. At the time the promoters deemed this a huge success. And so it 

 was for an initial attempt, yet how diminutive do the figures read compared 

 with yesterday's totals. The payments for admission amounted to £583, 

 which affords proof of the fact that from the outset the idea of a National 

 Horse Show caught on with, at first, the Irish people, and subsequently 

 with those resident in distant parts — even in foreign parts. There are, no 

 doubt, some who will, after glancing over these remarks, say, " Oh, we 

 knew all this before ; tell us something we don't know." On the other 

 hand there are thousands — strangers to our city — who are not acquainted 

 with the history of Ball's Bridge Shows, who are ignorant of the importance 

 of Irish horse-breeding, and the benefits that follow not merely Ball's 

 Bridge, but provincial shows. AYell, the gate money taken at the first 

 venture was £583, and since then it has grown and developed so rapidly 

 that it is now not a head or a neck, but a Sackville-street in front of any 

 other similar institution in the world. There is only one horse show in the 

 world — Ball's Bridge. None other can with it compare. In the inaugural 

 year, that is in 1868, the value of the prizes given was no less than £470. 

 We have here evidence of liberal treatment from the outset. Large as that 

 sum appeared at the time it was small as contrasted with the £1,729 to be 

 doled out on the present occasion, exclusive of numerous valuable cups. 

 The last show was held at Kildare-street in 1880, and in that j^ear the 

 entries numbered exactly 600. The growth of the show was so great that 

 its promoters were compelled to look for new grounds, which were found at 

 Ball's Bridge, fifteen acres of land having been purchased from Lord Pem- 

 broke, but even this was found insufficient, and ten additional acres were 

 purchased. Still the requirements of the show grew on so steadily and 

 rapidly that in 1891 a further extension of space was found necessaiy, and 

 additional ground was purchased from Lord Pembroke, making a total area 

 of thirty-eight acres, the buildings on which cover five acres, and represent 

 an expenditure of £50,000. The permanent halls and stables at Ball's 

 Bridge now provide comfortable accommodation in the waj' of stalls and 



/ 



